Jakarta – A number of villagers from East, Central and South Kalimantan came to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Tuesday to protest violations of human rights by four coal and gold mining companies in the three provinces.

They met with Komnas HAM members, Koesparmono Irsan and M Salim.

H Amsyah, representing residents of Sangatta village in East Kalimantan, recounted how the coal mining company, PT Kaltim Prima Coal, which has a 790,000-hectare mining concession, has taken over land from the local people.

He said the company in 1989 took away land to construct a housing complex for its employees without paying compensation to the locals.

In 1990, it took over a 32.35-hectare smallholders' fish pond without compensating their owners and in December 1993, the company again took away 247 hectares of land owned by smallholder farmers, he said.

Pius Nyompe, who lives in a village along Kelian River in East Kalimantan, related how the gold mining company, PT Kelian Equatorial Mining, has taken away the local people's right to mine gold along the river.

He claimed the company's gold mining concession belongs to the local people who found it in 1949. The company took over the gold mining area in 1990 without paying compensation to the locals, he said. He regretted the local authorities' stance which is to keep silent over the issue.

Meanwhile, Syamsuri of Murung Ilung village in South Kalimantan protested the way the coal mining company, PT Adaro Indonesia, has taken over plantations belonging to the people.

He said the company has bought plantations from locals at a low price. "The company however continues to take over the plantations despite the low compensation," he said. He said the company is also polluting a number of rivers which serve as a source of clean water.